


Smitten Kitten

by YsaX64



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Cat Ears, Cats, F/M, Spell Failure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:33:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22518547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YsaX64/pseuds/YsaX64
Summary: Sometimes, a catastrophe can lead to something more.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 3
Kudos: 38





	Smitten Kitten

**Author's Note:**

  * For [adrestiandove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/adrestiandove/gifts).



> no regrets

"Hubert."

Edelgard knocked once. 

No answer.

She frowned. It wasn't unlike Hubert to disappear on his own, but it was odd that he would do it without warning. Especially after peace had been settled and there was rebuilding to do.

"Hubert," she hissed, knocking once more. "I know you're there."

He wasn't in his office and no guard had seen him all day. There was only one option left and, as much as she disliked having to demand Hubert's presence, Edelgard was starting to get worried. What was that? He was never this secretive, not after they had made amends with all the secrets he had hidden for years –  _ all  _ of them, but it was not the time to think about such things, not when she had too much to do and couldn't give herself up to such  _ feelings _ –

"I will get the nearest ax and break down this door if you don't open in this instant, Hubert."

It was better to turn her messy feelings to more concrete things. One second passed, then two, then three and no answer yet. Very well. Worry swelled on her chest, constricting and tightening as she looked from side to side, trying to find  _ any _ weapon or guard near.

"Fine."

It was a high-pitched, strained tone, one that she barely recognized as Hubert's. Her eyes darted back to the door, her worry shifting focus. Was he sick? It would be just like him to hide in his den like a wounded animal. 

She expected to hear the click of the door unlocking. Instead, the rush of metal scraping the floor was all that she heard. With a frown, Edelgard looked down and…

He slid the key under the door.

Still, Edelgard would have time for questions once she was inside. Picking up the key, she unlocked the door, slid inside and closed the door behind her. All in one movement, quicker than anyone would expect of a small woman whose armor was almost a second skin.

Her eyes darted to the room – just like his room in Garreg Mach, it was disappointedly dull, with barely anything that would be easy to identify as his, with the exception of his  _ work _ items and she knew those were carefully hidden – and there he was, sitting on his bed. He looked disheveled, half-dressed with only his button-up white shirt and black trousers, even barefoot. His head was dropped, his hands tangled in his hair, which looking unusually messy.

The suspicion that he was sick was all but confirmed, but, before she could say anything, Hubert spoke up first.

"I apologize for my disgraceful behavior, Your Majesty."

Edelgard was almost sure she saw something moving under the sheets, but she did not question it. Still, her heart softened as she saw the sweat clinging to his skin.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of in being sick, Hubert," she comforted him, taking a step closer, but careful to not push their fragile boundaries. "If you wish, I can call–"

"There is no need."

His fingers tightened in his hair – unusually disheveled – and she couldn't help but wince. Hubert had been at her side in every cold, every wound and every illness. Even when the blood in her veins had convulsed and rebelled against her, he had hovered near her, respectfully distant but there, always there. Now he sent her away when she tried to do the same!

While she struggled with words, her eyes caught something.

Something like a fur-covered rope, pitch-black and thick. Her eyes widened and snapped back to Hubert, who seemed to not even have noticed it at all, stewing in his own misery and sweat.

"Uh, what is–"

Whatever she wanted to say got cut off as the rope  _ moved. _ It moved like a snake, swaying from side to side. Lasting but a moment before it slithered back to under the sheets, she could clearly see that it led back right to Hubert.

"Don't move," she hissed, half-command and half-panic. Hubert shifted, raising an eyebrow. 

Whatever that was, it wasn't supposed to be there. Tiptoeing nearer, Edelgard picked up a vase, one of the few adornments in the room. A heavy, thick thing of an ugly reddish hue. Probably something that was already there when Hubert took the room for himself and that he never bothered to change.

Something that he wouldn't miss if it ended up broken.

She scooted closer, Hubert frowned. The rope moved slightly. Neither of them said anything as Edelgard held the vase with both hands and raised it over her head. 

And she let it go.

A sickening crunch echoed in the room, followed by an inhuman – catlike? – hiss. Her eyes darted back to Hubert. He had jumped out of the bed, his hands on his bottom, now the top of his head was visible, revealing…

_ Ears. No, not simply ears. Cat ears. _

Her eyes darted down, half-knowing what to expect and she wasn't disappointed. A pitch-black tail, bent in a sharp angle that most definitely wasn't natural.

_ Oh. _

* * *

"I'm a disgrace."

His grave voice was muffled by the pillow, as Hubert laid on his stomach. Edelgard grimaced, sitting beside his infirmary bed. That went poorly. His ears were flattened down and his hands – now she could see that his nails had clearly grown – were clutching and tearing the fabric of the sheets.

Luckily, Hubert was face-first in the pillow, because he would hate to see Manuela picking up his broken tail with two fingers and a smile on her face. 

"Ok, ok, let's put the  _ kitty _ back together."

Edelgard cringed, staring daggers at Manuela. There was no need to be mean, not when Hubert was already so down. That didn't stop the former professor from letting out a laugh as she cast her spell, mending bone back together. A soft, greenish glow appeared for a few seconds, in which not a single word was uttered, perhaps out of shame, perhaps out of respect, regardless, it didn't take long before Manuela gave two pats on Hubert's lower back.

"You're good now, tomcat. Just need a few hours of rest to guarantee it won't go out of place then you're good to go."

Hubert merely groaned against the pillow. 

"Thank you for your services, professor Manuela," Edelgard intervened for Hubert, the title slipping out of habit. "Now, I believe it would be better if–"

"If I left you and your Minister alone?"

Edelgard couldn't fathom how could someone say Minister in the same sing-song tone a school girl would say  _ boyfriend _ but Manuela somehow managed it. The Emperor cleared her throat.

"Yes."

"As you wish, dear."

Manuela winked. Edelgard was fairly sure that half the castle would know Hubert's rather humiliating current situation within the next hour, but there was no point in trying to stop her. It was going to happen sooner or later, considering Manuela's loose tongue after two glasses of wine.

Still, Manuela soon did as told, turning on her heels and walking away, leaving the Emperor and the Minister to deal with each other. 

A moment passed. No one speaks, not one word. Out of shame or out of awkwardness, Edelgard can't tell. She taps one foot on the floor, fidgets with her fingers. Well, that couldn't stay like this. And she knew that Hubert wouldn't even dare to start a conversation in the stage, so it ended up on her.

"So. How did this happen?"

Silence. 

"I was referring to the whole cat situation."

Hubert shifted just enough so that he was resting on his side instead, the new ears now twitching in distress. He bit his bottom lip – whatever had happened also had granted him small fangs, she noticed right there – as his eyes averted to the ceiling.

"Hexes and spells are very similar, my lady."

Ah. A quick sense of déjà vu took over her, but it lasted only a moment. Edelgard decided that it was best not to press him any further. Not when it was getting late and the moon high in the sky already. Well, it seemed like she wouldn't be getting any more work done today, not with Hubert in his current situation.

She could at least keep him company, for it was partially her fault that he was so ungracefully bound to a bed as he was. Edelgard toyed with her fingers, finding herself terribly inadequate.

"Do you have a plan for reversing this–" She gestured towards Hubert's ears. "Situation?"

The Minister simply nodded, his bright green eyes staring the pillows, the lines of his face tensing.

"Yes, I was in the process of reverting the effects when you knocked on my door." The thought stung. If she hadn't appeared when she did, then everything would be normal by this point. "It should be no problem to do so once I get back to my room."

He closes his eyes. Tired, she can only assume. Edelgard breathes in, ready to ask if he needed water or a book or anything at all, but the question died in her throat. Something told her that all he wanted was rest. Perhaps her presence wasn't necessary.

But Hubert didn't send her away either. 

So there Edelgard stayed, beside him. Well, she did say that she was going to be with him through any sickness, for it was only fair considering how much time he had spent hovering near her when she was sick.

So, out of curiosity or out of boredom, she couldn't exactly tell, her eyes started wandering. 

The ears were the same shade as his hair, which explained how she didn't notice them right away. They were fluffy, connecting to the side of his jaw and going all the way up to his head. His expression was tense even in rest, thin lips parted revealing just a hint of newfound fangs. Her gaze trailed down, finding the black tail – the same hue of his dark hair – curled around, the bandages clumsily around the fur. He hadn't even bothered to tuck himself in the sheets, perhaps still sweaty, the thin clothes clinging to his body.

She blinked slowly, snapping out of the spell. 

How disrespectful of her. Staring at a sleeping man as if he was an object to be appraised? Even considering his situation, she had no right. Still, some sort of strange feeling – curiosity – took over her.

She spared a glance at his face again. Asleep? The slackness of his jaw and the position of his arms would indicate so. Nevertheless, she wouldn't dare to disturb his sleep, not when he had so little to begin with. But was he already in deep slumber, so quickly?

Questions, but no answers!

Edelgard pressed her lips together, extending her hand near his face. Did she dare? Part of her wondered if he would even accept her touch, considering how much he evaded her when it came down to touch, to even the most hesitant of caresses–

Stop.

She withdrew her hand. Foolish thoughts due to her idle mind. Tomorrow, Hubert would be healed back to normal and, perhaps except the memory, the moment would be gone. But it was the very idea of wasting that moment which bothered her the most!

With a low grunt, Edelgard shook her head. There was no one but the two of them there and nighttime was approaching. And Hubert surely wouldn't mind indulging her curiosity. 

Edelgard extended her hand again and, that time, she didn't hesitate, running her fingers on his dark hair. Soft curls, gentle against her palm, and she massaged his scalp, out of mindless affection. He let out a sigh, she froze. A moment passed and he did not stir.

Her fingers found a soft ear. Was he like a true cat, which enjoyed scratches right there? Inebriated by her freedom, drunk in the sense of liberty, she scratched behind his ear, so uncommon and yet–

A velvety rumble echoed in the infirmary, constant and low, like purring. Purring? She furrowed her brow. Her eyes darted back to his face and his eyes were half-lidded as if just waking up, lips curled up in a content expression. 

Edelgard didn't stop caressing his ear. She should've stopped. Yet she continued, more hesitant, ready to jump out if he reacted, if he stirred. But he didn't, the low constant sound pleasant to the ears.

Her hand wandered down, his eyes opened, bright and green and watchful. Her lips parted, trying to say something, but nothing came out. Instead, she withdrew her hand in shame.

Overstepping his boundaries. 

A moment of silence passed as she tried to find an excuse for her actions. If not something that was satisfactory for him, then at least for herself, because she couldn't fathom why she'd done such–

"If you wish, you don't need to stop."

Hubert's voice. What? His brow was furrowed, beads of sweat trailing down his pale skin. Did he just say what she thought he said? His gaze found hers but he quickly averted it, his ears twitching.

"My apologies if I said something inadequate. I am not at my best, you see."

She flexed her fingers, not sure if he meant what she thought he meant, but still, it was the only possibility, could she..? She could.

He had granted her permission.

Her hand found his dark curls again, less timid, with a purpose. Her lips parted, letting out a sigh. It was soft, despite the sweat, she even just card her fingers through his hair, it would be pleasant. Once her palm found his ear again, he let out a sound – half-purr, half-sigh? She could barely tell – quietly pleased.

Surprising even herself, Edelgard found that wanted a bit more.

Her fingers found the line of his jaw. His breath hitched but he didn't pull away, didn't tense under her touch. The purring continued, the soft sound, the tail thumping slightly, halted but still relaxed.

Mindlessly, her hand continued down to his throat, vibrating with the sound. Her thumb brushed over his Adam's apple, the tendons of his neck. How vulnerable he was, letting her touch him like this. A man who slit throats without hesitation, baring himself for her.

The rumble gradually stopped, substituted by only the sound of his steady breathing. Her fingers lingered on his throat for a moment too long before she withdrew her hand.

It was like a haze, to see him pliant as he was under her touch. Asleep, this time she was sure, his expression wasn't tense anymore, the sharp lines of his face subsiding, lips parted. 

Edelgard smiled at the sight. A small smile, something that she couldn't even comprehend. 

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused," she whispered. "I was worried about you."

He did not react, not even stirring at the sound of her voice. How adorable. Out of impulse, Edelgard leaned in, placing a kiss on his forehead. When she leaned back, part of her expected a hint of shame. It didn't come. Just a rush of warmth flooding her chest, ebbing and flowing like waves. 

That was interesting indeed.

* * *

Manuela stumbled on the hallway. Why did the sun hurt so much? She only remembered half of last evening and most of it involved alcohol of the non-medical sort. At some point, she also started talking about Hubert the Cat – uppercase, because he was like the half-cat men of the legends of the Radiant Hero – but she was fairly sure no one believed her.

She snickered. Heh, sure. Even Manuela herself was half-sure it was her own drunken madness but it hurt to know that no one in Enbarr believed her. Oh, well. Manuela fumbled with her keys, trying to get in the infirmary before a certain shady someone could scold her for slacking off.

She opened the door.

_ Oh, Goddess. _

Edelgard was slumped in a chair, her head drooping forward in a way that would inevitably cause her neck pain once she was awake. But that was not all, not at all. In the bed, there was Hubert, with a tail half-bandaged and  _ cat ears _ on top of his head.

Manuela pinched the bridge of her nose. 

Her hangover was too strong. No, no, she wasn't dealing with that. The songstress found a pair of blankets and covered each of the little birds with one. For a moment, the sight made her remember that these two were once students, young and fresh.

Still, it only lasted a moment. 

She turned on her heels. A small smile curled on her lips. There would be no one to scold her if she slept the rest of the morning away. Well, then she would leave the two smitten kittens alone. 

They went through too much already. Let them have their moment of peace.

**Author's Note:**

> still zero regrets.  
> Kudos/Comments/Feedback is always appreciated!!!


End file.
